Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120457240100.htm

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Eight Bangladesh nationals held

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Wednesday took into custody eight Bangladesh nationals on the charge of travelling by the Trivandrum-bound Kerala Express without journey tickets. All the men were in the age group of 25-30 and were said to be agriculture labourers in villages adjacent to Dhaka.

Speaking to reporters after a three-hour high drama, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, U.V.S. Raju and Deputy Superintendent of the GRP M. Satyanarayana said that all the eight men had valid documents, including visa and passport and they did not possess any weapons and drugs. “The youngsters claimed that they have come to India as tourists and wanted to visit Kerala,” the police said.

According to the police, the youngsters entered Kolkata on December 1, from where they reached Chennai by train. Instead of boarding the Trivandrum-bound train, they boarded a Delhi-bound train and got down in Warangal. Subsequently, they boarded the Kerala Express in Warangal.

A few guards of the Indian Army, who were travelling in the same coach, grew suspicious and informed their headquarters, besides advising the railway staff to check their credentials. As the travelling ticket examiner (TTE) found that they were not possessing tickets, the youths were handed over to the GRP at Vijayawada station.

“We have found $ 2,400, 816 Bangladeshi Takas, 100 Sul Rials of Oman, 20 Rufiyaas of Maldives and Rs. 230 in their possession. We are checking their credentials thoroughly and the questioning is going on,” the officials added. The names of the men arrested are Jamal, Moinuddin, Sanimia, Abdul Jalal, Sidul Islam, Yakub, Umar Farooq and Sukur Ali.

The train reached Vijayawada station at 3 p.m. and it took three hours for the police to get the details from them as they did not know any other language except Bangla.